Silver in the Dark
by Kept Alive
Summary: Disaster strikes in Middle Earth and the three elf lords are taken captive by the enemy and brought to Barad-dur. This is a POV, but whose it is you will have to find out.


  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Every one is property of J.R.R. Tolkien or New Line Cinemas.  
  
Warnings: Em, if the idea of three elf lords being trapped in the darkest, most horrible place in Arda troubles you, then please do not read this story. Rated PG just in case.  
  
--))--  
  
Dark.  
  
It is so dark.  
  
Not even the faintest glimmer of light is here to greet me as my eyes slowly open, adjusting to nothing but the black that I saw before when they were closed...only it is more terrible now; because I know what I should be seeing...and I should be seeing something....something other than darkness.  
  
But I see nothing.  
  
I am blind to all that is around me...but not what is inside of me.  
  
Torment. Gruesome, ceaseless torment. The torment that was dealt to me in punishment for my deeds...the deeds that forever had worked to overpower the darkness in my realm...and this has obviously displeased the Dark Lord immensely.  
  
I cannot lie still. The voices in my head, the swirling mist of shadow tearing at my heart will give me no rest. I must move...I must at least sit up...  
  
I push my hands under me against the cold, grimy stone floor underneath, gradually raising myself into a crawling position, and then at last coming to sit against the wall, just as cold and hard as the floor.  
  
I grimace the lightest bit as the sounds of chains clanging against stone reach my ears. Seeing as they were dealing with the likes of me and my companions when they took us, the foul creatures that were sent to bring us here found it necessary to chain us hand and foot with irons that must weigh nigh on thirty pounds. It makes moving very difficult for us, and even more painful.  
  
Who is "us", you ask?  
  
There are three of us. Myself, Lord Elrond of Imladris, and Lord Celeborn of Lothlorien. I have not heard tale of the slightest movement from either of them since the Orcs brought us back from the Chambers. Lord Celeborn I believe is still with us, though still has not regained consciousness since the event that occurred not a few hours ago. But Lord Elrond, my friend, I fear has left this place for peace at last. My ears do not make out even the smallest of breaths from him anymore...and not one movement does he make.  
  
I came to notice this just a while ago.  
  
May he be at peace, at long last.  
  
Vilya, Elrond's ring, was taken from him nearly the very instant we arrived here, along with anything else valuable that we might have carried...my own ring included. With both of those things in hand, I can only begin to imagine now what the Dark Lord shall be intending to do...  
  
And yet on a more confusing note, I begin to wonder why it was that Lord Celeborn was taken from Lothlorien, and not his wife. For it is she that bears the elven ring, Nenya, not he. Perhaps the Dark Lord meant to ransom him for Lady Galdariel's ring, but I do not believe that Galadriel would give up anything up to the Dark Lord, espcially not an elven ring...not even for her husband.  
  
My head is swimming again. I lean back against the wall and just set my mind to breathing; as such things even as simple as those cannot come without a fight during this time. I try to think of something else...something to bring my mind to leave the pain...but nothing comes to mind at all.  
  
I start suddenly as I hear a sharp clanging sound from outside our cell, and the crude language of the Orcs following it. I shudder at the very tone of the black speech and try to shut it out of my mind, even though the fear that they may be on their way here to take us to yet another "meeting" with Sauron is making that nearly impossible.  
  
But the noises fade as quickly as they had come, and I can relax just the slightest bit.  
  
I feel a bit sleepy...but I know that I mustn't rest. For rest will only bring nightmares and more torment, as the mind is fully vulnerable in the state of sleep and unawareness. I hope Celeborn is not suffering from such things...indeed, I hope he is suffering from nothing at all. It is almost in my mind to wish for him to fall to the same fate as Elrond, so that everything may end and he may be at peace.  
  
That is what I wish for myself also...but I must not let go. Not now...not yet.  
  
Instead I turn my thoughts to home. I try to think of a bright morning just before the daily meetings...I try to think of the palace workers' friendly songs while they go about their duties and their chores...I even try to think about that confounded book that Elrond loaned me and I still have not finished...  
  
But most of all I try to think of my son.  
  
My heir and only child, Legolas. Meaning 'Greenleaf' in the gray tongue, and the light of my life. Without him I do not think I would have made it even this far...and I believe there shall always be a little ray of sunshine whilst he is around...even in places like this.  
  
But these thoughts still are not as bright as they once were, for I know that now that the Dark Lords is gaining more power through means of the three of us, Mirkwood and her people will be in more danger now than they ever were before...and this time they will have a lesser chance of withstanding the evil that will strike out at them from Dol Guldor and everywhere else that was ever a threat...  
  
And if the enemy does intend to strike hard and fast at my realm, the first target he will set will be Eryn Lesgalan, and if it is narrowed down to people...  
  
Legolas will be one of the first to fall.  
  
And then my line will have ended...along with the realm that I have worked to keep on its feet and out of harm since the first day such a responsibility was placed on my shoulders.  
  
Everything has come to darkness now. Everything that I ever knew has now lost hope.  
  
And yet...I feel that there may be a chance...somewhere out there...there may be a little thread of light to hold onto through this swallowing hole of despair that I have been thrown into. Maybe not for myself...but for everyone else out there.  
  
There are still others.  
  
Others that may fight to make sure we do not lose everything, though the fight may be in vain...they may still take a stand and give their all to keep these lands free and safe.  
  
And it is in those people that I place my hope now.  
  
For though I have no hope for myself now...I do have hope for Middle Earth, no matter how slim the chances.  
  
I feel very weary now...very sleepy. I musn't sleep...I know this...but perhaps I could lie down, just for a moment. Just to ease off a little bit of the pain that I have to bear now.  
  
Carefully...slowly...I ease myself down onto the ground, resting my head down on my arm in order to keep from letting it come in contact with the cold, hard floor again, and closing my eyes lightly against the darkness of the cell. It is more comforting if I rest in a world that is supposed to be darkened...unlike my world on the outside right now.  
  
I feel my mind slipping out of reality...but I do not stop it this time. I know it is inescapable now. I am so tired...so very...very tired. There is nothing to be done now. Just rest...rest...and the kind of release that you can only experience now, in a time like this.  
  
The world is falling away from me. I feel an odd kind of warmth settle inside of me that I have never felt before...it is unsettling and yet my heart welcomes it gratefully.  
  
Some of my weariness starts to fade away from me...that, along with the pain. It is all falling away...falling like the tears of an oncoming storm...like a stream that has found its end at the edge of a cliffside.  
  
I feel light...almost like I am floating as a strange white light settles itself in my vision.  
  
A new light.  
  
My eyes open slowly to greet it gratefully...and there I see all the darkness has faded away, leaving a trail of golden light and the glimmering of silver glass in its wake.  
  
My head turns slowly to take in my surroundings...but it does not take a long while for me to realize where I am, and what I am doing here.  
  
The thought brings a smile to my lips, and I slowly walk forward on the silver-stoned path leading towards the great white halls before me...but as the white mists part, I see a lone figure standing on the path aways in front of me.  
  
My smile broadens as I realize that I am coming to gaze at my old friend, Elrond Peredhil, who had indeed left the darkness for this purpose...and had now been waiting for me all this time.  
  
I see Elrond turn around slowly, a smile playing upon his lips whilst he does so. I have never seen him looking so...well. All lines of worry and care are gone from his face, and instead he looks young again, full of wonder for the world and a heart full of peace that I have not seen displayed by him before.  
  
He says not a word, but simply looks at me, motioning with his hand in the smoothest of ways for me to come forward, and as I approach...I see another figure step out through the mist.  
  
Elrond smiles knowingly at me, and steps aside respectfully as the newcomer comes forward.  
  
I know already whom it is.  
  
She comes out of the mist in a graceful, and yet hurried walk, anxious to meet me with those sapphire eyes full of excitement and joy. Her long, fair golden hair waves behind her in a brilliant flame, and her long, pale blue dress swishes lightly with each step.  
  
My heart leaps for joy as I catch her in my arms, holding her to me with every last bit of longing and craving for her that I have endured over the years behind it. It is so wonderful to hold her in my arms again, breathe in her familiar, sweet ocean-breeze scent and hear her quiet voice in my ear.  
  
How I have missed her.  
  
Never had I dreamed of this moment...though I had known it would be wonderful...nothing would ever have prepared me for this.  
  
And now, at last, she, and Elrond, and I all turn to face to the great white Halls of Mandos...the halls where I had never really expected to see...but had never banished the idea of seeing it either...and smiling slightly.  
  
At last...I was free.  
  
And I was home.  
  
I took my wife's pale, long hand in mine, slowly walking forward through the mists and toward the beautiful lands beyond.  
  
Everything bit of darkness was gone now.  
  
I had only light ahead of me...  
  
And the anticipation in my heart that someday even this would end as well...  
  
And I would see my son again. How he has grown to look like his mother. I had nearly forgotten over all these years.  
  
But that time comes later.  
  
For now, I have all this time before me...  
  
And I am not about to waste it.  
  
If ever I had had any hope before...it cannot be even the smallest measure of what I feel now.  
  
Farewell Middle Earth.  
  
My time with thee has now ended, as the twilight of my life sets in, and all will fade now, even as I knew it once.  
  
The End  
  
--))--  
  
Review! I beg you! Make my day a better one! 


End file.
